Poll Shows Many Feel America Is Declining

September 13, 1992|By Knight-ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Two out of three Americans believe that the United States is in a serious long-term decline - economic, moral and spiritual - according to a new national poll and lengthy conversations with representative groups of citizens throughout the land.

The survey, conducted for Knight-Ridder Newspapers and the Cable News Network by the Gallup Organization, reveals a pessimism breathtaking in its sweep and intensity.

The discontent goes well beyond today's sluggish economy to deep anxiety about the nation's future.

''The issues that are on people's minds now are not coffee table talk,'' said Robbie Lathrop, a Republican businessman from Elgin, S.C. ''They are gut-wrenching issues that really make us lie in bed, wide awake, and stare at the ceiling and wonder what are we leaving for our children? And what are we building for ourselves?''

The exploration of American attitudes was done in preparation for a town meeting tonight in Wichita, Kan. Co-sponsored by Knight-Ridder and CNN, the 90-minute meeting will be moderated by talk show host Larry King and will be broadcast nationally by CNN starting at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

The Gallup survey was supplemented with interviews with seven focus groups - cross-sections of people of varying ages who discussed their hopes and fears. The interviews were conducted by The Harwood Group, a non-partisan research organization in Bethesda, Md.

The survey and the interviews showed clearly that a majority of Americans wants fundamental change and fresh ideas to solve the nation's problems.

Most Americans say they would prefer to handle problems locally, through private and community effort. Voters will support new federal programs only if they think they will work, but they are skeptical government can do anything right.

Despite the differences between generations, there was broad agreement on key points:

By a margin of 63 percent to 33 percent, Americans believe that the United States is in decline as a nation. The decline is not military - we are still the only superpower - but economic, moral and spiritual.

People fear that the American dream is slipping away, that greed and materialism are ruining the country, that their children will be worse off than they are today.

On issue after issue, majorities say we have not made progress but have lost ground: the economy, 65 percent; crime, 68 percent; health care, 52 percent; poverty and homelessness, 54 percent.

Two of three Americans are unhappy with the honesty and ethical standards of other citizens. Two of three deplore the state of the family. Three of four do not like the way the political process is working. Eight of 10 do not feel that the nation is taking adequate care of its poor.

Only one person in three thinks that his or her standard of living is going up. The others say it is going down or is flat.

''I think people feel like they are drowning and grasping for straws,'' said Frances Hebert, a Democratic sales clerk in St. Paul, Minn. ''Your rent goes up, your food goes up. Yet I'm making the same salary. . . . So the harder you work, you're not getting anywhere.''